Newcastle United fans have finally received some good news regarding Joelinton and his new contract.
The Brazil international’s future at St James’ Park has been up in the air for a few months now, with his deal due to expire in 2025.
There have been fears that Newcastle United may need to cash in on him this summer, to avoid potentially losing him on a free the following year.
But fear no more, as Joelinton has officially signed a new contract with Newcastle United. He is getting the pay rise he wants, and has extended his stay on Tyneside.
That is excellent news heading into the summer transfer window, and now Newcastle need to make a similar decision regarding another one of their midfielders.
Newcastle must make another contract decision now Joelinton deal is done
While Joelinton has now extended his stay, there are other Newcastle United players whose contracts expire in the summer of 2025.
One of those players is Sean Longstaff, and Toon officials must decide what to do with him now that the Joelinton situation is resolved.
Longstaff signed a three-year deal in 2022, at a time when he was close to leaving the club on a free. Since then, he has proven to be more than worthy of that new deal, and was instrumental in last season’s success.
This season has been much tougher due to injury, and now the club must decide if they view Longstaff as a long-term part of Newcastle United’s future.
Sean Longstaff could help Newcastle regarding PSR
Just like they were with Joelinton, Newcastle are currently at risk of losing Longstaff for nothing in 2025. But losing Longstaff on a free would not be as devastating. After all, Longstaff came through the club’s academy and cost nothing. In contrast, Joelinton was a £40million record signing in 2019.
But the fact that Longstaff is an academy graduate is the reason why this situation is just as delicate. If the Magpies do sell him, he would go down as pure profit. That would be massively beneficial for Newcastle and their profit and sustainability situation, and it is why the club should not rule out selling the man who Eddie Howe called a ‘leader‘ earlier in the season.
If Newcastle need to sell before they buy to improve their PSR situation then Longstaff could be a good option to move on. But that will all depend on how valuable they feel he is to the team right now.
Currently, fans would argue he is not very valuable. He has endured a tough season and is not playing very well. But that is because of injury, and the Longstaff of last season is certainly worth keeping if he can re-find those levels.
And given his struggles this season, Longstaff is perhaps not as appealing to other suitors, which might mean Newcastle do not get as big of a fee. Therefore, the PSR boost might not even be that big.
These are all things that Newcastle must consider, but it is clear that they must address Longstaff’s future now that Joelinton’s contract situation is finalised.
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